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The Wadden Sea’s unique nature and wildlife form the museum’s point of departure and source of inspiration. We have sought a direct relationship with the flat terrain and the shallow sea that so dramatically reveals the shifting tides and, as a result of the water’s movement, periodically exposes the seabed entirely. This natural phenomenon has created opportunities for rich wildlife, and the idea of the proposal is that the building’s architecture and materiality offer a base that reflects and communicates this natural experience.
The building’s characteristic roof profile marks the Wadden Sea Centre’s importance as a public building and becomes an easily recognisable destination for visitors. The extension connects the new roof construction to the geometry of the existing gabled volumes and builds upon the character of the existing buildings. Together, they create a new whole organised around a unifying, sheltered, and green courtyard.
A long glass façade signals openness toward the road, inviting passers-by and the curious to visit. A large window at the entrance generously allows those passing to glimpse the exhibition from outside. The façade of the extension, cast in in-situ concrete, draws inspiration from the materiality of the sea. By using sand of the right quality in the cast concrete, a memory of the sea is created, while giving the building a warm grey/beige colour that unites the tones of nature and the old buildings in the area.
The interior echoes the roof forms and provides extra space in the entrance, which opens onto the sheltered and sunny courtyard. Through its shape and height, the roof profile also provides favourable conditions for acoustics, lighting, and climate/ventilation installations. The simple and unified plan allows flexible use of the exhibition spaces, enabling both content and circulation through the galleries to adapt to changing demands over time. There is a natural “flow” from the main entrance, ticket sales, café/shop, and courtyard, onward to exhibitions, interpretation, conferences, and outdoor activities. The strategic location of the entrance space offers an immediate overview and easy orientation for visitors—an essential aspect in creating an inviting and welcoming atmosphere.
The proposal’s objective is to create a robust and long-term sustainable structure for the Wadden Sea Centre, capable of evolving over time as the organisation expands. It is also important that the centre has a distinct and recognisable character, clearly distinguishable from the surrounding farmsteads with houses and barns, as well as from other public facilities in the area. In this way, the centre can more clearly establish itself as a meeting place where the natural values offered by the Wadden Sea are highlighted and explained—a destination in Jutland that can also attract new groups of visitors.
The courtyard is designed for quiet breaks, outdoor café seating, and activities related to the exhibitions, including the outdoor stage by the laboratory space. From the courtyard, two openings lead further to the area’s various activities and to the new barn and nature school. The courtyard plays a central role in the complex, with opportunities to interact with the café, exhibition spaces, and laboratory, extending further into the site’s outdoor activity areas south and west of the existing buildings.
